Wowing 'em: whether he's launching a 60-yard rocket or dazzling opponents, with his footwork, Michael Vick will keep you standing anal demanding more. Imagine how exciting—and unstoppable—he'll be when he fully understands the NFL game

Sporting News, The, Nov 25, 2002 by Paul Attner

That's why Ron Hill, the Falcons' vice president of football operations, is showing a tape of Vick's 3-yard touchdown run in the October 27 game against the Saints. Vick starts around right end and two Saints players are cutting over, easily close enough to tackle him. "See how he just turns it up a notch and changes the angles?" says Hill as Vick makes a lightning-quick cut upfield just as the first defender reaches for him--and misses completely. At the 1, the second player can't even get close enough to dive. What should have been a no-gainer is a score. Wow. Hill lets out a slow whistle.

Flowers saw the bad angles first-hand--and something else, too. "What our veterans admired about him the most was how he took some shots and kept getting up and playing again," he says. "He's a warrior. Every now or then, someone comes along like a Payton or Sanders who is about to change the game. That is what he is about to do. He just needs to figure out how to run smarter and when to throw. And he will."

Flowers understands. Vick is a beautiful bird learning to fly: how high he soars will depend on his continued willingness to learn and his ability to grasp the complexities of the passing game. Considering that in the second half of last year's game against the Bears he kept calling wrong plays and formations at the worst possible moments, he already is vastly improved.

"Ahead of schedule," says lack Burns, the Falcons' veteran quarterbacks coach and Vick's mentor. "He's a sponge. He wants more and more. He understands knowledge is power. We just have to be cautious to make sure we don't give him too much too fast."

That Bears fiasco still hurts Vick's gut; it was an embarrassing wake-up jolt. He realized he had to fine-tune his work habits and limit his trips to down town Atlanta, 25 minutes from his home."I never was going there much anyway," he says in disgust. He fives alone and spends his free time studying game tape an hour a night, playing video games and sleeping. He'll occasionally join teammates at Buchanan's house to watch Monday night games but otherwise keeps a low profile. He has an infant son who resides in Virginia with his girlfriend; he has visited them three times this season.

Some things about Vick are unexpected. He's soft-spoken, a stark contrast to his on-field persona. "Hasn't said a damn word in the locker room yet," says veteran tackle Bob Whitfield, laughing. Nor does his body fit the prototype. At 6-0, 215, he is square, not angular, more a finebacker in appearance than a fast-twitch quarterback. He's polite and respectful, traits that have won over older Falcons who now accept him as a leader. After the Falcons released veteran quarterback Chris Chandler in February, Vick knew he had to prove to his teammates he warranted the starting job. So from mid March until early July, he spent a lot of time at the Falcons' complex, lifting and studying.

"The biggest change in him from last year is his brain," says Whitfield.

His life has become his career. He gets this, too. The team's video department was stunned when he asked for a weekly cut up tape of the next opponent; it was the first time any young player had made such a request. When the Falcons suggested he meet with a public speaking consultant, Vick quickly agreed. He wanted to improve his communication skills.